Our first attempts at the definition of the guiding principles for whole systems development did not include leadership. Experience of assisting with processes of change and learning across organisational boundaries suggests that this was a gross omission. Followers often express considerable anger and frustration that powerful individuals and organisations have failed to deal with issues that impact adversely on their daily lives. They are angry when a hospital blames the local social services department for the slowness of discharge procedures. They are unimpressed with the attempts of the railway companies to distance themselves from the problems of Railtrack. Explanations by car dealers about the impact of outsourcing of parts on the time taken to repair cars fall on deaf ears. It is the reality – the delivery on the ground – that matters. Effective leadership is an essential component of this.

Systemic change will not be effective if it ignores the responsibilities and accountabilities of individual organisations. Public service organisations are the servants of the public, and they should be held accountable by the politicians we elect for the resources they use. Similarly, commercial organisations are responsible to their shareholders. Collaboration or partnership across organisational boundaries runs into the sand if these constraints are not explained to those involved. This is the job of leadership. Leaders must frame these issues within a wider context, in ways that enable managers, staff, consumers and citizens to take responsibility for and begin to tackle these things themselves. Effectiveleadership is vital to the achievement of systemic change. These requirementsare mirrored in the research on organisational renewal by Beer et al:

In this chapter we:

• • Contend that ‘hero leadership’ cannot be successful in tackling ‘wicked’ or intractable problems.

• • See leadership as something for the many rather than the few ‘top’ people.

• • Explore the processes involved in leading across ‘whole systems’ – assisting sense-making, establishing ‘holding frameworks’, using collective intelligence and so on – and some of the paradoxes with which leaders must grapple.